John Elway, the Denver Broncos and the Poor Handling of Tim Tebow: Fan Perspective

It is now official. Former Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning is now a member of the Denver Broncos. Unfortunately, this means that current Broncos QB Tim Tebow will likely be shown the door. While I can understand the desire of the Broncos and John Elway to have Manning, I think things could have been handled a bit differently. While I know football is nothing more than business, this particular business was a bit shady.

Tebow is Our Starter

Fans have known for some time that Elway was unsure of Tebow. Would he make it as a starting QB for the Broncos? Well, after leading the team to win after win in the 2011 season and delivering the Broncos into the playoffs (and winning a game), many believed that Tebow had earned his spot as a starter. And on January 16, 2012, Elway announced that Tebow would be the starter going into training camp.

No, Maybe Not

Of course that all changed when the Colts decided to let Manning go. Elway and the Broncos were the first ones to jump into the ring and meet with the star QB. Tebow appeared to be forgotten. Many, like me, were looking forward to seeing how Tebow would do with a complete season and time with Elway. While I can understand the draw of Manning, I think Tebow proved that he would do anything to earn a win and was determined to improve. He brought the Broncos to the playoffs but that just wasn't enough.

However, my biggest problem with this whole deal is that, after the Manning press conference, it became obvious that Elway had never planned on Tebow starting in the 2012 season. Vic Lombardi, a CBS4 Denver sportscaster tweeted out, "My favorite Elway response today: 'What was your plan B if this didn't work out?' Elway: 'Uhhhhh, there was no plan B.'" So obviously, Tebow was not a plan B. The idea was to get Manning (or probably someone else) to take over for the Broncos before the season started.

If Elway never planned on supporting Tebow, why did he even bother saying it back in January?

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

While talks of a Tebow trade are still in the works, last I checked Tebow is still a member of the Denver Broncos. However, apparently the Broncos believe that if they take down all the action photos of Tebow in the team facility, no one will remember he was a part of the team. Tebow has not even been traded and already the Broncos are removing every trace of him. Vic Lombardi tweeted, "It is a bit unsettling. That throw to DT in OT was a top 5 moment in Denver sports history. That photo should never come down." Unfortunately, the Broncos don't appear to see any of the work Tebow did as worth remembering.

Gone but Not Forgotten

While the Broncos may be doing everything they can to forget Tebow, his fans will never let that happen. I can only hope that the Broncos do trade Tebow to a team that will support him and work to build him into the QB he can be. He has the potential to make a great QB and it would be nice to see him with a team that recognizes his potential. No matter where he ends up, his fans will follow and continue to support him every step of the way.

As a fan of the Broncos, I am looking forward to seeing what Manning can do in 2012. I will always support my team and even the poor handling of Tebow will not change that. However, I have also become a fan of this kid and hope to see him succeed with his new team.

Deborah Braconnier is a former athlete and avid football fan. She is a freelance writer and Featured Contributor for the NFL and Olympics. She has followed the Denver Broncos since she was a child and can usually be found yelling at the television during football season. Follow her on Twitter at @fwcdeborah.

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